Indoor CO₂: potential criticalities and solutions

¹ University of Trento, Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, 38123, Trento, Italy
² Ural Federal University, Department of Environmental Economics, 620002, Ekaterinburg, Russian Federation

^* Corresponding author: marco.schiavon@unitn.it, marco.ragazzi@unitn.it

Abstract

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) has been conventionally regarded as a global problem, due to the well-known effects of fossil fuel combustion to the climate of our planet. However, this paper aims at highlighting the role of CO₂ from another perspective, i.e. by considering the effects of CO₂ on the health and well-being of the occupants of indoor spaces. The exposure to CO₂ air concentrations > 1,000 ppm causes symptoms like headache, dizziness, sleepiness and loss of attention, which may negatively influence the learning capability and the productivity of students and workers. In this sense, schools and universities are particularly vulnerable, due to the high density of occupants in classrooms and to the importance of the role of education in training the future members of the society. In the light of this issue, the present paper will provide examples of the incorrect design of indoor environments and, meanwhile, will propose simple solutions to monitor the problem of indoor CO₂ concentration and improve the indoor environmental quality of public places.